# Joseph A. Mower > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Joseph_A._Mower > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Joseph_A._Mower.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_A._Mower > Source revision: 1352201990 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) American military officer (1827–1870) Joseph Anthony Mower Maj. Gen. Joseph A. Mower Born (1827-08-22)August 22, 1827 Woodstock, Vermont, US Died January 6, 1870(1870-01-06) (aged 42) New Orleans, Louisiana, US Place of burial Arlington National Cemetery Allegiance United States of America Branch United States Army Union Army Service years 1847–1848 1855–1870 Rank Major General Unit 1st U.S. Infantry Commands 11th Missouri Infantry XX Corps 39th U.S. Infantry 25th U.S. Infantry Conflicts Mexican–American War American Civil War Battle of Iuka Battle of Corinth Battle of Jackson Siege of Vicksburg Battle of Richmond Battle of Fort DeRussy Battle of Pleasant Hill Battle of Old River Lake Battle of Tupelo Battle of Rivers Bridge Battle of Bentonville Other work carpenter **Joseph Anthony Mower** (August 22, 1827 – January 6, 1870) was a [Union](/source/Union_Army) general during the [American Civil War](/source/American_Civil_War). He was a competent officer, and he was well respected by his troops and fellow officers. He was known among his troops as "Fighting Joe". Major General [William Tecumseh Sherman](/source/William_Tecumseh_Sherman) said of Mower, "he's the boldest young officer we have". ## Biography Mower was born in [Woodstock, Vermont](/source/Woodstock%2C_Vermont). He [volunteered](/source/United_States_Volunteers) as a private in the [Mexican–American War](/source/Mexican%E2%80%93American_War). In 1855 he entered the U.S. army as a 2nd Lieutenant in the [1st U.S. Infantry](/source/1st_U.S._Infantry).[1] As part of the 1st US Infantry, Mower saw action in the [Battle of Wilson's Creek](/source/Battle_of_Wilson's_Creek) in August 1861. Still with the regiment during the [Battle of Island No. 10](/source/Battle_of_Island_No._10), Major-General [John Pope](/source/John_Pope_(general)) selected Mower to construct a siege battery in front of New Madrid, leading to the capture of that river port early in the campaign. He later became colonel of the [11th Missouri Infantry Regiment](/source/11th_Missouri_Infantry_Regiment_(Union)) and fought at the [Siege of Corinth](/source/Siege_of_Corinth). He assumed command of the 2nd Brigade of the 2nd Division in the [Army of the Mississippi](/source/Army_of_the_Mississippi) and led it into action at the [Battle of Corinth](/source/Battle_of_Corinth_II). He was wounded in the neck and taken [prisoner](/source/Prisoner_of_war) by Confederate forces but he was recovered by Union soldiers the same day. He was promoted to [brigadier general](/source/Brigadier_general_(United_States)) of volunteers on November 29, 1862. He recovered from his wounds and returned to command a brigade during the [Vicksburg Campaign](/source/Vicksburg_Campaign) and [siege of Vicksburg](/source/Siege_of_Vicksburg) where he caught the attention of [William T. Sherman](/source/William_T._Sherman). During the [Red River Campaign](/source/Red_River_Campaign) he commanded the 1st and 3rd Divisions of the [XVI Army Corps](/source/XVI_Corps_(ACW)) and won brevets in the regular army for actions at the battles of [Fort DeRussy](/source/Battle_of_Fort_DeRussy) and [Yellow Bayou](/source/Battle_of_Yellow_Bayou). He commanded the 1st Division of the Right Wing, XVI Corps at the [Battle of Tupelo](/source/Battle_of_Tupelo). He was promoted to [major general](/source/Major_general_(United_States)) on August 12, 1864, and General Sherman ordered Mower to join the Union forces in [Atlanta](/source/Atlanta). He commanded the 1st Division of the [XVII Army Corps](/source/XVII_Corps_(ACW)) during the [March to the Sea](/source/Sherman's_March_to_the_Sea) and the [Carolinas campaign](/source/Carolinas_campaign). His division played a significant role in the battles of [Salkehatchie](/source/Battle_of_Rivers'_Bridge) and [Bentonville](/source/Battle_of_Bentonville). Sherman made him commander of [XX Corps](/source/XX_Corps_(Union_Army)) in the [Army of Georgia](/source/Army_of_Georgia) late in the war. After the fighting had ceased, he sailed for Texas along with General [Gordon Granger](/source/Gordon_Granger). He was placed in command of the District of Eastern Texas. After the war he stayed in the army and became Colonel of the [39th U.S. Infantry](/source/39th_Infantry_Regiment_(United_States)) and the [25th U.S. Infantry](/source/25th_Infantry_Regiment_(United_States)). He died in [New Orleans, Louisiana](/source/New_Orleans%2C_Louisiana), on January 6, 1870. ## See also - [American Civil War portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:American_Civil_War) - [List of American Civil War generals (Union)](/source/List_of_American_Civil_War_generals_(Union)) ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** *The Civil War: A Narrative, Red River to Appomattox*, Page 834. Shelby Foote - Eicher, John H., & Eicher, David J., *Civil War High Commands*, Stanford University Press, 2001, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-8047-3641-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-8047-3641-3). - [Joseph Anthony Mower](https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fmo84) from the *[Handbook of Texas](/source/Handbook_of_Texas) Online* - Foote, Shelby., *The Civil War: A Narrative, Red River to Appomattox*, Random House, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-394-46512-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-394-46512-1) ## External links - Media related to [Joseph A. Mower](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Joseph_Anthony_Mower) at Wikimedia Commons - [Arlington National Cemetery](https://ancexplorer.army.mil/publicwmv/#/arlington-national/search/results/1/CgVtb3dlchIGam9zZXBo/) Authority control databases International VIAF FAST WorldCat National United States Other SNAC --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Joseph A. Mower](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_A._Mower) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_A._Mower?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.